Barbara Lopez Kunz

Barbara Lopez Kunz, MS, is responsible for the leadership and oversight of DIA global operations, implementing strategies that focus on driving thought leadership and innovation in therapeutic development to improve the health of people worldwide. Ms. Lopez Kunz previously served as President of Health and Life Sciences at Battelle, one of the world’s largest, most respected research and development organizations. She has also served as Senior Vice President/General Manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Biosciences Business and on the inaugural board of the Childhood League School. She holds 14 patents, earned her Masters Degree in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, and is certified in INSEAD’s International Executive program.

Bayard G. Gardineer

Bayard G. Gardineer, MS, CPA, serves as Chief Financial Officer/Director of Finance, responsible for overseeing DIA's global finance operations and information technology efforts. He was previously CFO of one of the largest American Red Cross regional chapters, where he provided financial oversight for more than $50 million in annual revenue and $50 million in assets, and for raising more than $50 million in humanitarian relief. He earned his Masters Degree in Accounting from the State University of New York (Albany) and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Gardineer was recognized in 2009 by The Philadelphia Business Journal and Drexel University LeBow College of Business as Nonprofit CFO of the Year.

Timothy Hess

Timothy Hess serves as Global Director of IT, responsible for DIA’s global IT operations, computer infrastructure, customer and membership management databases, and website. He previously served as Director of Business Technology for Thomas Publishing Company LLC, where he managed all internal business systems, production systems, and technology projects; and as Vice President &Chief Technology Officer for Content Data Solutions, Inc., and as R&D Director for Reed Technology & Information Services. A proven technology thought leader with extensive experience in delivering high-performance systems that solve complex business problems in all development environments, Mr. Hess earned his computer science degree from Arcadia University.

Thomas Bols

Thomas Bols serves as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for DIA Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). He previously served in corporate international public affairs and as consultant for Amgen, Merck KGaA, and Biogen, working across market access, government affairs, public affairs, health policy, corporate communications, and patient advocacy to bring medicines to patients. Mr. Bols has held board positions for Europabio, the European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs, and other associations, and chaired various regulatory and access working groups within the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations. Mr. Bols earned his post-graduate degree in European Law from the University of Amsterdam.

Youngshin Lee

Youngshin Lee, PhD, explores DIA business development and impact opportunities in Southeast Asia and Korea, such as program building and collaborative partnering in the region. Dr. Lee previously served as President and CEO of International Scientific Standards (ISS), a joint venture of Battelle and Yuyu Pharmaceutical providing contract R&D and lab services compliant with Korean and/or US standards. While at ISS, Dr. Lee was awarded as “Equal Opportunity Workplace” by the Prime Minister of Korea, and as “Outstanding Employer” by the Minister of Labor and Employment. Dr. Lee started her career as a senior researcher for new drug development at HanHyo Institutes of Technology, and earned her PhD from the University of Oregon.

Sudip S. Parikh

Sudip S. Parikh, PhD, serves as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for DIA Americas. He previously served as Vice President and General Manager of Health & Consumer Solutions at Battelle, leading its Healthcare Improvement, Public Health Research, and Consumer, Industrial, and Medical Technology Development teams in R&D supported by government and commercial clients. Dr. Parikh is a board member of Research America, the Friends of Cancer Research, and the Food Innovation Center. He was a Presidential Management Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, and was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship while earning his PhD in Macromolecular Structure and Chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute

Akio Uemura

Akio Uemura, PhD, serves as Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DIA Japan, responsible for DIA business and program development by working with the Advisory Council of Japan and its committees, as well as industry, academia, and regulatory counterparts throughout Asia, to enhance and coordinate DIA’s collaborative networking, information exchange, and other efforts in Japan. Prior to joining DIA, Dr. Uemura served as Executive Director, Head of Japan Development, Allergan Japan, where he previously served as Director and Head, Allergan Japan Regulatory Affairs. Before Allergan, he was Director, Regulatory Policy, Liaison and Intelligence at Eli Lilly Japan. Dr. Uemura earned his PhD in Bioengineering Science from Osaka University.

Carol Zhu

Carol Zhu, RPh, MBA, serves as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for DIA Greater China. She joined DIA from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she was the Senior Program Officer for R&D Programs. Prior to her work at the Gates Foundation, she was Founder and Chief Executive Officer of START Shanghai, one of the first phase 1 oncology service companies in China. She also held positions at Merck Sharp & Dohme and GlaxoSmithKline, where she was key to establishing GSK’s R&D Center in Shanghai. Ms. Zhu earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University and her undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical science from Peking University Health Science Center (Beijing Medical University).

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